Capital punishment in the United States

Capital punishment in the United States is officially sanctioned by 38 of the 50 states, as well as by the federal government. The overwhelming majority of executions are performed by the states; the federal government maintains the right to use capital punishment (also known as the death penalty) but does so infrequently. Each state practicing capital punishment has different laws regarding its methods, age limits, and crimes which qualify. The United States is second only to the People's Republic of China in the number of death sentences passed.

Related Topics:
Capital punishment - United States - States - Federal government - People's Republic of China

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Capital punishment is a highly charged issue with many groups and prominent individuals participating in the debate. Arguments for and against it are based on practical, moral and emotional grounds.

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Between 1973 and 2002, 7,254 death sentences were issued. These had led to 820 executions, 3,557 prisoners on death row—all for murder, 268 who died while incarcerated of natural causes, suicide or murder, 176 whose sentences were commuted by governors or state pardon boards, and 2,403 who were released, retried or resentenced by the courts.http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cp02.pdf There were 59 executions in 2004.

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Most notably, 67% of capital convictions are eventually overturned, mainly on procedural grounds although some were exonerated.http://www2.law.columbia.edu/instructionalservices/liebman/index.htmlhttp://www.justicedenied.org/landmarkstudy.htm. Seven percent of those whose sentences were overturned between 1973 and 1995 have been found innocent. Ten percent were retried and resentenced to death.http://www.justicedenied.org/landmarkstudy.htm

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